Safe Haven
by CollapseUponImpact
Summary: Eliot met her when they were teens, he fell for her, and she left him a year later. Now, she's back and she needs his help. But, when he finds out who she is...can he still stand to help her?
1. Past Links

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognisable Leverage characters. Though, I wouldn't' mind owning Eliot. _

Haven moved her hands over the ropes that held her to the column as best she could, her wrists were chaffing with the aftermath of her attempts at escape. The room was darkened around her but, she could hear scuffling. The muffle in her mouth - a dirty old rag- ground against her dry tongue making her choke from the sensation. She hated the thought of even having cloth in her mouth, it gave her the skeevies. Haven closed her eyes and sighed, she wasn't getting out alive that was for sure. She wriggled one more time and then stilled herself against the stone column. Her mind was racing, thoughts of her sister, her mother. She couldn't just bail on them, this was the first time she had gotten caught in a job. It was the first time she had been caught, every other time she was perfectly fine. Better than that actually, she was the youngest Master Thief to come from her family in three hundred years. Her pride and joy was that title, now the Master Thief had been captured by the one person whom she had promised herself she'd never be captured by: Her Father's Murderer.

Markus Van Otto, 'The Shrink' , the media so duely dubbed him. Markus was infamous for interrogating the thieves he caught before he offed them. In the past six years he had murdered eighteen International Thieves and Spies alike, and through this fact his name struck fear into the hearts of the White Collar Criminal Community around the world. Her father, Eric O'Connell, was the first Markus had killed. She remembered the day she found out just like it was yesterday. It was her eleventh birthday, her mother, Winnie Ferel-O'Connell, was brushing her hair back into a pony tail when Arthur, their butler, had come in. He whispered in her ear and a moment later her mother was on the floor sobbing. It had taken all her breath and strength to even muster the words to tell Haven. Haven locked herself in her room for three weeks refusing to come out, her food had to be brought to her, and her friends and visitors were turned away.

"Are you there?..."Haven heard through her thoughts. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked into the aqua blues eyes of a stranger. She nodded,

"Urgghmmmhmm." Was all she could muster. His hands worked quickly at the ropes around her and then, they dropped from her. Haven's body fell forward into his arms and she breathed normal for the first time in what seemed like days. Her chest heaved and shallowed as her air intake returned to normal.

"Thanks..." she said backing from his arms, "Haven..." she introduced herself. The boy, she figured it was a male from the way the stranger spoke a few moments prior.

"Haven...do you uhh...want to leave?" He asked awkwardly. Haven placed her hands on her hips and then said,

"Nope...wanna stay. Hope that's okay with you." She smiled. Eliot reached out a hand for her to grip,

"You need to steady yourself, you look like you've been tied there a while."

* * *

It had taken the pair almost a half an hour to escape from the labyrinth like building, Haven pushed her heels in to the dirt of the slightly damp ground. Her boots had dirt already caked on the sides and this was going to make it worse - she didn't care. Eliot stood in front of her his eyes slid down her body and she knew for sure he was checking her out. The least he could have done was make it less obvious,

"Thank you, Eliot." Haven said, tucking a strand of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear. Her teeth bit down on her full, pink lips and she smiled. Eliot's eyes came back up to meet her own and he replied,

"It was uhh...no problem." What Haven couldn't decipher was what his reason for being inside of Van Otto's home was. Eliot rubbed his face, either out of exhaustion or frustration, she couldn't tell. His body twisted around slightly as he popped his spine, she heard the audible cracks and laughed.

"Sounds like someone is sleeping in their car?" He nodded,

"Yea..have to. Being on jobs keeps me busy." Haven's eyebrows cocked up,

"Jobs?" She questioned. A bird cawed above grabbing Eliot's attention for a moment causing his answer to be delayed,

"Uhmm, Jobs. Yeah. Cons?" He looked at her as if he already knew what she was, who she was. It sent a chill down Haven's spine.

"Cons? You're a Thief?" Eliot nodded,

"Yeah, have been since I was fifteen. So, I'm going on my three year anniversary." Haven kicked the dirt around a little more, in her mind she was fighting whether or not to tell him who she actually was.

No. She decided, no was the answer.

"You were going to con Markus Van Otto's home? You're lucky you weren't caught and hog tied beside me." Eliot would have laughed, he almost tried to, Haven could see that.

"No, an..anonymous source hired me. They said they'd pay ten k for your safe return." Sounded like her family. It was probably her brother Dylan, he was overprotective to say the least . Haven nodded,

"That anonymous source is my family, and don't worry. You will get your money."Her tone was like ice, though she had no idea where her anger had suddenly risen from. Eliot's eyes snapped to her,

"You think I'm actually worried about the money?" Haven nodded,

"You wouldn't have come if it weren't for the ten g's your ass is sitting on for this job." She took a few steps forward.

"You may not know me, but, I thought you were smart enough to figure out that I was a nice person. I wouldn't have left you here. I'm not a hard-hearted ass!" He was angry now too, his eyes and voice shown it. Haven saw the mini twitches his muscles were making. Eliot took a few steps toward her and said,

"Maybe I wanted to rescue the damsel in distress for once." Haven laughed,

"Honey..I'm no damsel in distress."

* * *

**Present Day.**

Eliot's hard hands pounded against the leather of the punching bag, his strokes came from anger as well as exhaustion. He'd been up for two days straight thinking of ways to tell Nate he needed a break, he needed to find himself again. God, he sounded so damn sappy saying that kind of shit. It was true though, he'd need time off. Maybe a month at the most, most likely just a week in Boston. Hah, he laughed, he was wanting to look for her again. He'd done it every year since they'd met and parted ways. Haven had been the first one to break down every wall he'd ever put up, who'd been with him through it all. For a year anyway, until she disappeared. He'd tried his best to block out the memories of that morning, waking up in a hotel penthouse suite alone. His arms had been around her when they'd gone to sleep, he'd woken with them empty and no note and her stuff gone. She'd even taken his car. Eliot stilled the punching bag and grunted to himself, he'd loved her. He had loved her and she had left him, like a damn wounded dog he had cried for her. He had searched for her, he still searched for her.

"Eliot!" He heard Sophie's voice ring out. Eliot yelled back an acknowledgment then he heard, "We've got a job." Great. He pulled his damp brown hair back into an elastic and headed down to meet the team in the room. They sat in their normal seats, but, there was one addition a long, slender body topped with a head of strawberry blonde hair. She turned and Eliot felt his heart drop into his stomach ,

"Haven..." he whispered. Haven's eyes were filled with tears,

"He killed Dylan Eliot. Markus killed Dylan."

**_A/n: Any kind of review was awesome. This is my first Leverage fic so...forgive me if it's a little lame. :D_**

**_Please R/R._**


	2. The Book Job

**I wish I owned all recognisable characters from Leverage but...I don't. :(**

Chapter 2: The Book Job

Sure Haven knew this was his team, well, not _his_ team. But, the team he was on. That's why she had chosen it, that's why she had searched up and down the coast lines and through the cities. She had pulled out every stop on the map to find him. Eliot Spencer, the only man she had loved. Well, other than her fiancee' of course. But, that was no worry: at the moment Scott was back in Coleraine managing operations and crews from home base.

""He killed Dylan, Eliot. Markus killed Dylan." Her words choked from her throat as she felt tears sting her eyes for the fifth time that day. Eliot's face became pale and he walked towards her. His arms wrapped around her and she buried her face in his shoulder. For a moment it was like she never left, then, Nate - the team's leader- coughed, breaking their embrace. Haven wiped her eyes and took a few steps back regaining her composure. Nate looked at Eliot,

"I assume you two know each other." Eliot rubbed his face,

"Yea, I've known Haven since I was eighteen actually." God, that comment made Haven feel old. Nate nodded and Haven heard a female pipe up,

"You never talk about her." Haven's head whipped around. The blonde girl, who had spoken sat on the top of the couch. Her hands folded in her lap and eyes scrutinizing every aspect of Haven as if she were a scientist and Haven was a bacteria. Eliot rolled his eyes,

"Haven..meet Parker." Haven smiled fakely,

"Pleasure." Parker just rolled her eyes. The dark haired woman stepped forward and held out a hand,

"Forgive her, she's a little off with strangers. Sophie," Haven took her hand and smiled,

"I know who you are , we have things to discuss later if you wouldn't mind." Sophie simply nodded and stepped back. Eliot sighed and motioned to a black man sitting on the couch beside Parker,

"That's Hardison, our resident hacker. And..you know Nate." I nodded towards Hardison,

"Nice to meet you. And yes, " I turned to Nate, "He was the one I contacted about seeing you all. Since, introductions are past I assume its time for a briefing." Nate clapped his hands together and laughed,

"I guess it is." Haven saw Parker lean over to Hardison and whisper something while pointing at Nate. Nate and Eliot both took their seats on the couch while Hardison pulled up the photos and files that Haven had given him. First was a picture of a blonde man with the same eyes as Haven - grey with navy flecks.

"My brother Dylan, was murdered four days ago by Markus Van Otto." A man with gray hair and brown eyes popped up onto the screen. A thin red line streaked across his face by his left eye pulling down his lips slightly,"Van Otto has had it out for my family since I was eleven. This is the fifth member of my family he has taken, the first being my father." She glanced around to make sure they were following her, "Avenging my brother's death is not the most pertinent task at hand right now though. Getting back what Van Otto took when he killed Dylan - other than his life- is." She motioned for The Hacker to proceed with the files. On the screen appeared a notebook, its bindings were half disintegrated and the pages falling from it were browned with age,

"This file is also known as _Leabhar Of an Mháistreacht _-The Book Of The Masters- my family's treasure. Legend has it that the first Master thief of Ireland wrote it and handed it down through each Master thief and each Master thief has done since."

"The Book was said to have been burnt in 1902 by Willim O'Doole, in his efforts to keep the Master thieves of Ireland at bay." Nate pointed out. Haven nodded,

"That's why it's so important. Willim O'Doole burned the copy of the Book. This copy has been kept under lock and key for over 100 years. It has been under the highest security money can buy, no one outside of my family and my family's security team knows it even exists." Hardison glanced at Haven with a perplexed look on his face,

"What was it doing out that day? Why did your brother have it where Van Otto could get it anyway?" Haven bit her index finger and then sighed,

"That night the next Master thief was to be named. The Book was being taken to the ceremonial room for preparation." Parker stretched her limbs and climbed onto the cushions of the couch,

"Who is the next Master?" Shit, Haven knew she couldn't tell them. Telling them would risk exposing her real identity to Eliot...she wasn't ready for those consequences. Not yet, all the truth would spill out in due time.

"No one knew except for Dylan." Parker muttered,

"Of course not..." she leaned over to Hardison again, "This chick is a little shady if you ask me." Inside, Haven felt anger bubble in the pit of her stomach.

"No one did, Parker." she replied icily, "Van Otto will be traveling to Boston in three days. He will be here to meet with me, to discuss the return of the Book in exhange for what he really wants. While I"m meeting with him the Book will be on lock down in his suite." The screen now had a floor map of a Penthouse suite in full view.

"The book will be kept inside of this room, "Haven pointed to a small room adjacent the master bath, "Van Otto is purchasing this room as a permanent US estate and having it outfitted with today's most high tech security. In place will be two sets of four security cameras: one set covering the roof and half of the wall length. The other covering the ground and other wall half. Infrared beams and weight sensitive tiles are being put in. Then, the Book itself will be in a safe, surrounded by one and half feet of bullet proof Plexiglas."

"Damn...this guy wants to make sure no one gets that book don't he?" Eliot asked. It was the first time he had spoken all briefing. Haven felt her heart flutter at his words. Haven nodded,

"Any security guards?" Sophie questioned, "This is all very high tech but...easy to crack."

"Sophie...it sounds easy but..this is only half the intel my teams have gathered about this trip. The other half is being sent directly to Nate's e-mail tonight, it should be ready for a part two briefing tomorrow." Hardison shut off the screen and placed the remote beside him. Haven looked around at thier faces, they now held her fate in her hands.

"One more question...If you have this book and you have Master thieves on your side why do you need us?" She thought they'd never ask,

"We've got a flipper...a traitor. Van Otto will know my team's every move before it happens...this is why I need you all. Please..help me." She pleaded. Her eyes met Nate's, Sophie's, Parker's, Hardison's, then finally Eliot's.

"I'm in..."Sophie chimed.

"Me too." Hardison agreed with a smirk. Parker mumbled and then raised her hand, which Haven took for an I'm in.

"Guess I'm in." Nate said with a sigh. She waited there was one more member, Eliot stood and walked to her. His hand went to the back of her neck and he pulled her to his lips, she kissed him back softly.

"This is the second time I've had to rescue you." He said when they broke away. Haven pulled back from him and then looked around. Parker and Sophie were wide eyed at him, Nate and Hardison looked pleased.

"I take it you don't kiss your girlfriend in front of them often?" Eliot smirked and then laughed,

"I don't have girlfriends."

_**A/n You guys are awesome! I love the views but...I need more reviews. :(**_

_**Please...**_

_**:D**_


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